Age of Great Power Competition: The US Views Latin America as a Battleground to Strengthen Its Influence and Strategic Rivalry with China
Senior US military officials recently accused China of "infiltration and resource exploitation" in the Western Hemisphere. The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded sternly, stating that the US should stop inciting division and creating trouble.
Cao Ting, a deputy researcher at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University and director of the Latin American Research Center, told Sputnik News that the Trump administration is increasing its control and interference in Latin America, using it as a "testing ground" to maintain global hegemony, continuously undermining China-Latin America cooperation in areas such as trade, economy, and technology.
Laura Richardson, commander of the US Southern Command, made controversial remarks at the South American Defense Conference held in Buenos Aires, claiming that China is conducting "infiltration and resource exploitation" in the Western Hemisphere.
As the commander responsible for US military operations in the southern hemisphere, she has repeatedly publicly expressed concerns about China's presence in Latin America, including infrastructure projects such as deep-water ports and space tracking stations funded by Chinese investment.
In Cao Ting's view, since taking office in his first term, Trump has regarded China as a strategic competitor for the US globally, and has increased efforts to suppress China's influence in regions such as Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Especially in recent years, China-Latin America cooperation has continued to improve and upgrade, drawing the attention of the US. The latter has intensified interference and disruption of China-Latin America cooperation. Trump's second term continued this ideology, intensifying interference and disruption of China-Latin America cooperation in areas such as trade and technology.
Experts point out that the US views the Latin American region as its traditional sphere of influence, and it has become a battleground for strengthening its influence and enhancing its strategic competition with China. In particular, the Trump administration is increasing its control and interference in Latin America, using it as a "testing ground" to maintain global hegemony, and intensifying interference and disruption of China-Latin America cooperation. In the future, the US may find it difficult to stop its hegemonic thinking toward Latin America.
At the beginning of this month, the US government planned to deploy three warships and 4,500 soldiers to the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, citing the so-called "fight against drug gangs in Latin America." The Venezuelan side condemned the US again for attempting to interfere in its internal affairs, disturbing its peace and stability.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized at an August 25 press conference that the US has long been interfering and controlling Latin America and the Caribbean, and its hegemonic and bullying actions are evident. Latin America and the Caribbean are not anyone's "backyard," and China-Latin America cooperation does not target any third party and should not be interfered with by any third party. Countries in the region have the right to independently choose their development path and partners.
Regarding how Latin American countries should respond to US-style hegemony, Cao Ting said that most Latin American countries, facing pressure from the US, strive to maintain a balance between China and the US, seeking practical cooperation with both sides. Especially, most Latin American countries hope to enhance their diplomatic autonomy, calling for the promotion of a fair and reasonable new international political and economic order, which helps the Global South countries strengthen unity and jointly face challenges.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841601464314890/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.